The Second Son
by Vstriker
Summary: When a dark tragedy from Rita's past brings a supposed relative to the Loud's doorstep, everyone is curious about the stranger. But with Rita giving little to no background on him, can the family really just accept this newcomer? Is he really who he claims? And what secrets is their mother hiding from them? Warning: Dark themes ahead.
1. Stranger Arrives

A Dodge Charger sped down the road, its engine the only sound roaring through the otherwise silent night. The driver looked ahead and noticed a sign coming up. As he passed by he managed to make out the words ' _Welcome to Royal Woods_ '.

He felt a knot in his stomach, and began slowing down at he passed the sign. From the top of the hill, he could see pretty much the entire town. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, feeling more nervous than he could ever remember. The man was someone who had stared death in the face, but what he was here for had him more terrified than even that.

Still, he had come all this way. He needed to see this through, for better or worst. He put his foot on the gas pedal and drove forward.

* * *

The alarm went off and Lincoln's eyes shot open. He yawned and stretched his arms before reaching over and pressing the button on his alarm clock. Then he smiled and hopped out of bed. Usually on Saturday mornings the sole male sibling of the Loud house would be sleeping in, knowing he didn't have to report to another dreaded day of school.

But today he needed to be up bright and early. An Ace Savvy marathon would be on today, and he intended to stake a claim on the TV before any of his sisters could get the chance. He opened the door to his room and peeked outside.

There was no one in the hallway, and he couldn't hear noise coming from his sisters' rooms. It was a straight shot to the bathroom. He grabbed some clean clothes and then quickly but quietly made his way across the hall. After gently closing the door behind him, he got washed up and dressed.

Then he snuck his way downstairs and jumped onto the couch. "Spot officially claimed," he said proudly grabbing the remote. In accordance with the time honored rule of 'First come first serve' he could now safely say he was in control of the TV. He suddenly heard static followed by a voice.

"Lincoln, come in. Have you secured the perimeter?"

Lincoln smiled before picking up his walkie-talkie. "This is Lincoln, and don't worry Clyde. The perimeter have been locked down and secured," he assured. "You can head on over anytime you want. But remember, the marathon starts in an hour."

"Copy that. I'll be bringing the chips and dip for the afternoon shift. You got the cereal for the morning phase right?" Clyde asked.

Lincoln's eyes widened. "The cereal… Dang it! I forgot the cereal!" he said slapping his forehead. How could he have forgotten that!

"Oh man, that stinks. But don't worry about it. I'll grab some on the way… uh-oh." Lincoln definitely didn't like the sound of that. "I forgot I had to spend the rest of my allowance on that new limited edition baseball mitt. I'm a little strapped for cash right now."

Lincoln sighed. "Don't worry about it. I guess I'll just have to go out and get some."

"But wouldn't that put your claim on the TV at risk? I'm not sure it's worth it buddy?"

Lincoln grew a determined look in his eyes. "We can't have our perfect Ace Savvy marathon without that cereal Clyde. I say it's a risk worth taking. If I'm quick enough I can ride down to Flip's and grab a box before my sister's even wake up. Wish me luck pal."

"Godspeed Lincoln, over and out."

Lincoln set down the walkie-talkie and then looked down at the remote. Perhaps if he took it with him he'd be able to keep his stake on the TV even if one of his sisters happened to come down before he could make it back. He pocketed the device and then made his way outside and grabbed his bike.

Anyone who knew him knew Lincoln Loud was not a particularly athletic boy, but you wouldn't be able to know it with the way he sped down the road. He was booking it as fast as he possibly could at a speed that would have made his big sister Lynn proud.

He needed to hurry. He had been planning for this marathon for weeks, and he wasn't about to let his sisters ruin it for him. As much as he loved his family, they had a tendency to… kind of get in his way. It wasn't intentional. At least not usually. But with eleven siblings in one house plans were bound to entangle, and heads bound to clash.

This time however he was going to make sure his plan had flawless execution. He smiled as he rode into the parking lot. He was almost there! His perfect Saturday a mere cereal purchase away.

But then a loud honking, followed by a screeching sound broke him from his thoughts. Lincoln glanced over and gasped when he saw a car headed right for him. "AAAAHHHH!"

He leaned to the side as best he could, but felt a bump on his leg, knocking him off his bike. He hit the ground hard and tumbled back a few feet. After taking a moment to groan in pain, Lincoln quickly sat up, his heart feeling like it was going to beat right out of his chest. He looked over himself.

He didn't seemed to be severely injured anywhere. Well, his leg where he had been bumped felt a little tingly. He pulled his pants leg up and then saw a small bruise. After poking it he winced slightly. It hurt, but it didn't feel like it was broken or anything. He let out a sigh.

"Shit! Are you okay kid?"

Lincoln looked up and saw the driver getting out of the car. The man looked like he was in his mid-twenties or so, and had a slim but muscular figure. He was wearing a black t-shirt and green cargo pants, along with brown combat boots. He was also wearing green baseball cap on his head. Lincoln noted he had a pair of military dog tags around his neck.

"Kid? You okay? Talk to me."

Lincoln shook his head, snapping out of his stupor. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Just… a little shaken." It was more than a little if he was being honest. He was pretty sure he could have died just now.

"I'm so sorry kid. You came shooting right out of nowhere and I couldn't stop in time," he said walking over offering him a hand. Lincoln took it, and the man easily pulled him up to his feet. "You sure you're alright? Nothing broken or anything?"

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah. I got a bruise on my leg but that's it. I'm really sorry sir. I wasn't looking where I was going. I should have seen you coming," he apologized.

The man waved it off. "Nah, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're in one piece. But just…" The man seemed to stop as he took in Lincoln's appearance. He stared at the youngster with a wide eyed gaze.

Lincoln shuffled nervously where he stood. He was starting to feel a little uncomfortable under the man's look. "Uh… sir?" he asked.

The man snapped out of his daze. "Uh, sorry. I just… I blanked for a sec there."

Lincoln hummed. "Well, again, I'm really sorry sir. Your car isn't damaged is it?"

He waved it off. "Don't worry about my ride kid. Might have a few scratches at worst but nothing that can't be buffed out easy. Your bike on the other hand though…"

Lincoln looked over and then saw the mangled heap of metal that used to be his bicycle. He groaned and ran his hands over his face. "Oh man, my bike. Mom and dad are going to kill me…" he whined.

That bike was supposed to last until he passed it down to Lucy. There was no way his parents were going to shell out the money for a new one. He'd have to blow half his allowance to make up for it. "Crud, I'm going to be late for the marathon too! Oh man!" His sisters would surely wake up before he could get back on foot.

There was no way today could possibly get any worse. The man looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He turned towards his bike, then towards the store. "Hey kid, if you need a ride somewhere I got nothing to do. I could give you a lift."

Lincoln stopped and looked up at him. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah. I mean it's the least I could do for almost running you over."

Lincoln hesitated for a moment. Partly because this whole thing technically was his fault for speeding into the parking lot without looking where he was going. But another voice in his head was reminding him of his parents warning not to go along with strangers.

He didn't really know this guy. For all he knew he could be a kidnapper or an axe murderer… then again, he really wanted to get back home and see that marathon. "Um… I guess so. Could I just grab something from inside first?" he asked.

The man nodded. "Sure. I got to fill up on gas anyhow."

With that, the two made their way inside of Flip's. Lincoln quickly ran down the aisle and grabbed a box of 'Ace Savvy Sugar Snaps', before heading to the counter. The man was going through his wallet putting out some dollar bills. "Give me thirty dollars on pump number 2…" He glanced over and saw Lincoln with his cereal, then pulled out another five dollars. "And the box of cereal for the kid."

Lincoln looked surprised. "Oh, you don't have to-"

"Relax kid. I got it," he assured tossing the money down onto the counter. "Like I said, owe I you for nearly running you over."

Lincoln frowned. It really didn't seem right that this guy was trying to make up for something that was totally his fault, but it was clear the man wasn't going to leave any room for argument. Plus he wanted to save as much as he could now, knowing that bike was going to drain his wallet later. "Thank you."

After they made their way out, the man put what was left of his bike in the trunk. Lincoln jumped into the driver's seat while he pumped the gas into the car. Lincoln glanced around the vehicle. It looked pretty old, but well kept. At least maintenance wise anyhow. The dash board looked a bit messy, covered in wrappers and receipts, and there was some loose change in the middle compartment.

But despite how old the model of the car looked, the interior seemed pretty well kept. The guy must have put a lot of work into this vehicle. The driver's side opened and the man slide inside of the car. "Alright, all pumped up and ready to roll." Lincoln nodded. "Where we headed little man?"

"Do you know where Franklin Avenue is?" Lincoln asked.

The man nodded as he started the car. "Yeah, I know where it is." He pulled off and drove out of the gas station. Lincoln had wondered if the man was from around here. He hadn't seen him before. Maybe he was visiting a relative or something. "You sure you're okay kid?" he asked.

Lincoln realized he'd been staring at him and quickly turned away. "I'm fine. I'm just… uh…"

"Thought I was some psycho kidnapper or something?" the man asked with a smirk.

"What? No…! Well, yeah. I thought about it a little earlier, but that wasn't why I was staring just now. Sorry by the way."

The man chuckled. "Don't be. Probably best you don't take rides from stranger after this kid. Never know what kind of creeps are out there."

Lincoln hummed. "Right… so, are you from around here?" he asked.

"Nope," he answered. "I'm just in town for a little while to… visit some family. Some I haven't seen in a long time."

So Lincoln had been right. He was just in town visiting. "Sorry about all this then. You probably wanted to head straight home and see everyone."

"Kid, stop apologizing. Let's just say we both should have paid more attention and call it even yeah?"

Lincoln smirked and nodded. "Sure. Hope my parents take it as easy as you do…"

"Don't sweat it little man. Just tell them it was on me."

"What? But you already paid for the cereal and gave me a ride. I can't let some stranger-"

"Leonard," the man said cutting him off. "But most people call me Lee for short. There, now I'm not a stranger. I'm an acquaintance."

Lincoln was silent for a moment, and then smiled. "Lincoln," he introduced.

"Like President Lincoln? Huh, don't here that one often."

"I don't hear Leonard a lot either."

"Touché."

They both shared a chuckle as they continued down the road. It had been a much shorter ride in a car rather than a bike, and they had reached Franklin Avenue much sooner than Lincoln had expected. "You can pull over here," Lincoln instructed. Lincoln hopped out and turned around to the car. "Thanks again for the ride Mr. Lee."

The man rolled his eyes. "Drop the Mister kid. I'm not that old."

"Sorry. Force of habit I guess."

Lee opened the door and stepped out of the car. "Hey, don't forget to get your bike kid. And while you're at it, could you send your mom out or something. I need to… I need to talk with your folks. Make sure we're straight with this whole deal, you know?"

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want them getting mad at you or anything."

"I'm sure kid. I'm a big boy. I can handle a little yelling," he said as he went around to the trunk to grab his bike.

Lincoln looked slightly worried, but nodded and headed towards the house. He opened the door and was thankful to see that none of his sisters had claimed his spot on the couch. He let out a sigh before making his way to his parent's room.

He gently knocked on the door, and heard a groan from the other side. He knew it was his mother since his dad had probably left for work already. "Mom, I know it's kind of early but… I really need to talk to you," he called.

Lincoln could hear her mumbling, obviously not eager to have been woken up so early. But then a few moments later the door opened. His mother yawned before looking down at him with bags under her eyes. "Sweetie, I really hope this is something important," she said sounding impatient.

Lincoln twiddled his fingers nervously. "I… okay, so you know how I was planning on watching the Ace Savvy Marathon with Clyde this weekend? Well I realized we didn't have any cereal, so I rode down to Flip's to buy a box. And on the way there I… I got into an accident…"

"An accident? What type of accident?" she asked suddenly looking more awake.

"…one involving a car."

"Oh my gosh?! Lincoln, are you okay?!" she asked as she began looking over her baby boy. "You don't have any injuries do you?! Do I need to take you to the hospital?!"

Lincoln blushed as she moved him around, looking for any signs of injury. "Mom, I'm find. I didn't get injured or anything," he said deciding not to tell her about the bruise on his leg. He knew she'd blow it out of proportion, much like his sisters tended to when he got injured. "I just… the guy is outside."

Rita's eyes widened. "The man who hit you?" He nodded. Her eyes narrowed and she headed for the front door. "Good, I have a few choice words to share with him."

Lincoln quickly grabbed her arm. "No, wait! Please don't be angry mom. He's really sorry. He stopped to check on me, and he even offered me a ride to the hospital. He only came here cause he wanted to apologize and clear things up with you."

The matriarch of the Loud House slowly came to a stop, and then sighed. She supposed she had jumped to anger a little too quickly, but she couldn't really help it. That's how mothers were about their children. "Okay, okay, I'll talk to him… wait, how did he get here? Did you give him out address?"

Lincoln laughed nervously. "I… I came with him. He offered me a ride home."

Rita glared down at him. "After we're done sorting this out you and I are going to have a reminder of why taking rides with strangers is a bad idea Lincoln."

"Yes ma'am," he said hanging his head.

He followed her outside, where they found Lee standing at the bottom of the porch. When he saw them he seemed to flinch slightly. "Uh… good morning ma'am."

Rita smiled and nodded back. "Good morning sir. I understand you and my son had a little accident earlier."

Lee kept staring at her for a few moments. He gulped and then nodded. "Yes ma'am. It was… it was completely on me. Wasn't looking around and didn't see him coming. All my fault. I'm very sorry about all this. I'm willing to pay for the bike or any medical stuff."

The blonde waved it off. "Well, my son thankfully doesn't seem to have any serious injury, and I couldn't really ask you to pay for a new bike for him. I do appreciate you offering him a ride and bringing him home," she said.

He nodded. "Well, I figured he wouldn't want to drag that thing back by himself so I offered. I know it's ironic coming from but I gave him the rundown with stranger danger too."

Rita chuckled and patted her son on the head. "Well, luckily Lincoln here seems to be a good judge of character. So, I doubt this would be necessary but would you like to exchange insurance information or…?"

Lee kept looking down at the ground and bit the inside of his cheek. "Uh… look, if I'm being honest ma'am, I didn't just come here to sort things out about the kid. I… I actually came for a completely different reason. I guess things just turned out like this and… god I don't know how to do this," he said running his hand over his face.

Rita and Lincoln both looked confused. Rita scooted her son back slightly, growing a little concerned. But Lee quickly held his hand up. "I'm sorry, I know I sound crazy. I just… look." He reached up and took his hat off, and both Rita and Lincoln gasped at what they saw.

Lee had a full head of white hair, and while it was slicked back, there was no mistaking that all too familiar tuft sticking out from it.

Lincoln's eyes were just about as wide as they could get. "Uh… mom. Why… why does he look like…?" he turned to his mother for answers, and found her looking even more stunned.

No, stunned wasn't the word. It was more liked horrified. "You… you're…" Rita stepped back, leaning against the doorway as she struggled to catch her breath.

Lincoln began to panic slightly. He had never seen his mother so shaken to the core before. What in the world was going on? He turned back to Lee. "Who are you?"

* * *

A/N: Hey guys. So this is an idea I came up with a little while ago. It's also going to be the last new story I start for a while. At least until I wrap up one of the others first.(Which will most likely be Ladylike Lynn since I have longer plans for the others)

This story is also going to be my most dark and mature story by far, and the rating will be probably end up being bumped to an M sooner or later. Anyway, I don't want to go into too much detail since it would spoil some stuff for next chapter. But I wonder if any of you guys can guess what's going on. Leave your reviews and I'll let you know if you got it right!


	2. Return of Firstborn

"Who are you?"

If Lee had heard Lincoln's question, he must have chosen to ignore it. His eyes never left Rita's trembling from, and he took a step forward. "I… I'm guessing you kind of realized who I am by now," Lee said nervously. "But I promise I didn't come to cause a scene or make any trouble. I just… I just wanted to meet you," he assured.

Rita looked like she was trying to say something, but no words came out. Lincoln, seeing his mother looking so shaken stepped in front for her. "H-hey! I asked who you were!" he said holding his arms out. He didn't know who this man was, but if his mother was so terrified of him it couldn't have been good news.

Lee once again raised his hands. "Kid, calm down. Like I said, I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just wanted to have a chat with your mom there. She… we're… god I screwed this up. I really should have thought this out more. Damn it," he said running his hands through his hair.

Lincoln wasn't entirely convinced. "Stay right there! I-I'll call for help! I'll call the cops!"

Lee took a step back. "Kid, just calm-"

"You know my mom! She's afraid of you! You… you were planning on coming here the whole time weren't you?! You probably hit me on purpose just so I'd bring you here or something!"

Lee looked at him in disbelief. "Kid, c'mon. I'm not some stalker or anything. I really just rolled into town this morning. Running in to you was a genuine accident."

"I don't believe you!" Lincoln said glaring at him. Right now his protective instinct was taking over, and he didn't want or need to reason with this man. All he needed to do was make sure his mother was safe. "Step back mom, I'll-" He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, and then looked up to see his mother staring down at him. "Mom?"

She still looked shaken, but the fear on her face had died down. "L-Lincoln. It's okay. I… I know this man. He's… oh god, I never thought this day would come…" she muttered.

"I'm sorry," Lee said shaking his head. "I wanted to catch you in private but I didn't think you'd let a stranger in your house and… I'm just sorry."

Lincoln turned back to Lee, his adrenaline starting to come down a bit. "Who is this guy? How do you know each other? Why does he look like…?" Lincoln couldn't bring himself to utter the final word. Him. He looked just like him.

He hadn't been able to see it before, but the moment that cap had come off it just came together. Lincoln felt like he was looking at an older version of himself. A million things were buzzing through his head. The first thought was something that brought dread to his very soul.

It was something he truly hadn't wanted to consider, but really couldn't help but think about. The man was his spitting image… wait, since he was older, it the other way around. They had the same eyes, the same hair, even a similar facial structure. His parents had told him about the story of his birth but… it had been pretty crazy. Could this guy be… his dad? His real dad?

No, he dismissed the idea immediately. That was impossible. His sister's accounts of his first day home went right along with his parents' story. So while the white hair was certainly some type of signifier of familial status, any notion he had of being adopted or… worse, were quickly squashed.

But that left little other options to go with. Lee, if that was his real name, definitely shared a resemblance with both himself and, his Pop-Pop. And not just the hair either. He'd seen pictures of his grandfather from back in the day, and this guy looked pretty similar to him. It was just plain undeniable when you looked at him. So maybe… "Is he your brother?" Lincoln asked looking up at Rita.

The woman once again flinched, and Lee looked down at the ground. She bit her lip, staring at her son with a stressed expression. "I… Lincoln, I think… maybe this should wait until a little later. Until your sisters are awake and I… we, can explain everything at once."

Lee looked at the two with a sad frown. "God, I'm so sorry about all this. You know what, this was a bad idea. I… I shouldn't have showed up. I'm just going to leave before-"

"No!" Rita said suddenly reaching out towards him. Both Lincoln and Lee looked up at her surprised. She quickly realized her outburst had caught them off guard and cleared her throat. "I-I mean no. You don't have to go. I know you must have come a long way and… I was just a little surprised."

"I can imagine."

"Please, come in. I… I just have to… sort this out."

"Are you sure? Because I really wouldn't want to intrude. Don't want to cause a ruckus for your family or anything."

Rita nodded. "Please stay. I insist… uh…" She blanked for a moment, realizing she'd never gotten his name.

"Leonardo," he said. "Leonardo Bilbruck. You can just call me Lee."

Lincoln noted just how his mother flinched when Lee spoke his full name. The boy was so confused. What was happening right now? His mom said she knew him, so how could she not know his name? Why were they acting like this was the first time they met? Why did he have to wait for her to tell him? None of this made any sense!

Rita took a breath and then stepped aside. "Right. Lee. Please come in."

For a moment Lee looked hesitant. Then he slowly began making his way up the stairs and into the house. Lincoln could tell they were both tense as he passed by her. He glanced at his mom, visually asking her for some kind of answer.

She patted his head. "It's alright sweetie, I'll explain everything. Just… just later." That was clearly not what he wanted to hear, but he sighed and nodded. The two made their way inside and saw Lee glancing around the living room. "You can have a seat here while you wait. Please make yourself comfortable."

Lee nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Lincoln, would you mind keeping our guests company?"

"Okay mom."

"And I don't think I should have to tell you not to pry until the rest of the family is present…" He nodded in response. "Good. I'll back in a bit. I just need to make a few calls."

With that Rita turned and walked back into her room. Lee took a seat on the couch, twiddling his thumbs nervously. Lincoln eventually decided to take a seat on the other side, looking just as uncomfortable. He really, _really_ wanted to ask him what the heck was going on. But his mom said not to pry, and he wasn't about to push his luck right now.

But that didn't mean he couldn't ask him about other stuff. "So… you were in the army?" Lincoln asked suddenly, gesturing towards the dog tags around his neck.

"Marine Corps," he clarified.

"Cool. My grandpa was in the Navy."

Lee hummed. "That so? I know a couple of old geezers who used to serve in the Navy back in the day. Maybe we know some of the same guys." Lincoln wasn't really sure how to continue the chat from there, and an awkward silence that hung in the air. "Kid… you know I didn't hit you on purpose right?" Lee suddenly asked. "This whole thing was just a coincidence. One hell of a coincidence, but a coincidence all the same."

Lincoln blushed slightly. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry for that. I was just panicked. I've never seen my mom freaked out like that before."

Lee smiled. "It's alright. You were trying to protect your mom. That's admirable. As soon as she started looking nervous you jumped in front of her and I could see the gears turning in your head about what you were gonna do. That's some quick reaction time. Good man," he said patting him on the head.

Lincoln couldn't help but grow a smile of his own at the praise. "I guess I'm just used to it. I have to think of my feet all the time with ten sisters."

Lee's eyes widened. "Ten? You serious?" Lincoln nodded and then gestured towards the family photo on the wall. Lee whistled. "Crap kid, no wonder you'd so quick on your feet. Couldn't imagine having to deal with that many chicks on one house."

"Do you have any siblings?" Lincoln asked. Suddenly his eyes widened, and he covered his mouth. He had been making casual conversation and forgotten he wasn't supposed to ask about that stuff. "Sorry, I mean-"

"It's fine kid," Lee assured. "That's… that's a tricky question there. But the short answer is no. I was raised as an only child. Just me and my gramps."

Lincoln's curiosity peaked. He wanted to ask about his mother and father, but he knew even without his mother's warning that was far too personal to ask about. Before another awkward silence could take over however, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

The sole male child of the Loud house tensed as he saw Lori making her way down. She stretched her arms as she headed for the kitchen. But not before taking a glance towards the couch. "Hmm, why are you up so early twerp? Some kind of silly cartoon or…" she stopped when she noticed not one, but two heads of white hair on the couch.

Lori froze where she stood. The now wide eyed girl's attention was completely focused on Lee. "Lincoln, who is that stranger sitting on the couch…?" she asked. Well, whatever deep family secret his mother was in on clearly wasn't known by Lori. And if she didn't know, it was doubtful the others had any idea either.

Lincoln cleared his throat. "This… this is Lee."

Lee waved. "Morning ma'am."

Lori's eyes darted back and forth between her brother and the stranger on her couch. "Uh… good morning. Not to be rude but… is there a reason why he's here?" she asked.

Lincoln didn't exactly know how to answer. Seriously, what was he supposed to say? He was just as lost as she was. "Uh…"

"I'm an old acquaintance of your mom," Lee suddenly said.

Lori gave him a weary look. "I'm just… gonna go ask her about that then," she said as she moved around the couch and made her way towards Rita's room.

Lincoln watched as she made her way out, and then turned back to Lee. He opened his mouth, about to apologize for his sister's less than polite greeting, but Lee cut him off. "It's fine. I understand how weird this whole situation is. And… I get the feeling it's going to get a whole lot weirder."

As if on cue, Lori stepped back out of Rita's room, her eyes wide and locked onto Lee. The two white haired males watched as she made her way upstairs, presumably to go get the rest of her sisters. "Here we go…" Lee muttered.

Rita stepped back out, rubbing her hands together nervously. "Okay, the girls should be down in a few minutes and your father is on his way back home."

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. If she had called his father back home then this really must be serious. "NO WAY!" All three in the room flinched when they heard the booming voice from upstairs. It was quickly followed by footsteps, and after a while one of his sisters sped downstairs before sliding to a stop at the bottom.

Neither Lincoln or his mother were all that surprised to see it was Lynn Jr. She looked up wide eyed as she scanned the room. Her eyes stopped on Lincoln and Lee. "Whoa… she was telling the truth?! No freaking way!" she said shocked.

More footsteps soon followed, and more of the Loud family came running down. "Oh man, I can't believe it. They really do look alike…" Lana said looking over them.

Lisa rubbed her chin. "Could there be someone else who's been dabbling in cloning technology? Or perhaps time travel?" she muttered.

"He looks like Pop-Pop!" Leni said.

Lori stopped at the bottom of the stairs and stood in the back, not saying anything as she let her sisters chatter on. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes towards Lee, who seemed a little overwhelmed by all of this. "Holy crap little man. This is your daily life?" he muttered.

"Got used to it I guess," Lincoln said smiling nervously.

"Who is this guy Link?" Luna asked casually making her way over to the couch. She didn't seem shy at all about circling around Lee and looking him over.

"He looks shady…" Lola said glaring at him.

"I don't know. I think he's _All-White_ , get it?" Luan joked.

The best reaction however had to be from Lily, who stared back and forth between Lee and her bother wide eyed. Her little mind clearly couldn't handle the resemblance the young man had to her brother. "Linky…?"

Rita decided to step in. "Okay, alright, everybody back up. Give our guests a little breathing room," she ordered. The girls all took a step back allowing Lee to let out a breath of relief. He definitely hadn't been ready for any of this.

Lori decided to speak up. "Okay mom, everyone is up and down here. Now could we please get an explanation of who this guy is?" she asked impatiently.

Rita sighed. "Girls, just… just wait until you father gets home. It shouldn't take too long."

The eldest sighed, clearly not happy to be kept waiting any longer. "Mom, I just... uh." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, fine. We'll wait."

The younger sisters, and Leni, looked on confused for a moment. While the elder sisters shared a worried glance. They weren't stupid. They could see there was a stranger who looked eerily like their brother in the house. There were only so many conclusions they could jump to.

Lee simply stood there, not really sure what he could add to this already tense situation. Hell, he wasn't sure if he _should_ add anything. Luckily before the tension could grow any thicker, the door lock behind them opened.

Lynn senior came rushing in, clearly out of breath. "Okay! Okay! I got home as quick as I could! So what's going…?" he stopped when he saw Lee, his face paling. "Oh… OH! Okay, right. This is… honey?" He looked towards his wife, not exactly sure what to do at the moment.

Lincoln watched his dad's reaction carefully. From what he could tell, the man had some idea of what was going on here, which honestly put him at ease a little. He really hadn't wanted to consider the worst scenario in this situation, but he couldn't just deny it was possible that his mom had been… intimate with someone else besides his father.

Lee turned around and held his hand out. "Good morning sir. The name's Lee. I've very sorry about all of this. I hadn't meant to make your morning so hectic."

Lynn cleared his throat before reaching forward and shaking his hand. "No, it's… it's no problem. I, uh… it's nice to meet you. I'm Rita's husband, Lynn Sr. I guess… I'm really sorry, I wasn't prepared for this," he said nervously.

"Neither was I," Lee admitted.

Lori stepped forward. "Okay! We waited. Our sisters are all here, dad is here, everyone is here. Could we please get an explanation of why this guy, who literally looks just like Pop-Pop is standing in our living room?" she asked.

With that, the Loud siblings gazes all turned towards their parents. Half towards their father, and the other half towards their mother. Lincoln had been in the ladder. With how his mom reacted earlier he could only assume she was the one who really know what this situation was.

Lynn made his way over to Rita, who had a more than nervous expression on her face. He put an arm around her to comfort her, and she relaxed slightly. "Right. So, kids… I… I don't really know any other way to say this, so I'll just say it. This is Lee. He's… he's your brother."

All the sisters grew wide eyed, even the older ones. For a moment Lincoln thought another awkward silence was due, but that thought was quickly put to rest by Lynn Jr.

"WHAT?!" Lynn shouted in disbelief. Everyone turned towards the athlete who quickly marched towards her parents. "W-what do you mean he's our brother?! We only have ONE brother, and that's Lincoln!"

"Lynn, I need you to calm down and-"

"Calm down?!" she yelled cutting her father off. "You can't say something like that and then tell us to calm down! There… there's no way this guy is our brother!"

A hand suddenly gripped her shoulder, and Lynn looked up to see Lori glaring at her. "Lynn, be quiet," she said with a clear edge to her voice. "Whatever is going on isn't going to get properly explained with you yelling. So just let mom and dad speak."

Lynn clearly didn't like being told to quiet down, but reluctantly stepped back, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. Rita nodded towards Lori. "Thank you Lori. You see… I know this might be a shock to you, but Lee _is_ your brother. He just… I…"

Lee stepped forward. "I left, a long time ago. Before you guys were born. I… I ran away," he said trying to take some of the attention off of Rita.

The sisters all shared suspicious looks, while Lincoln just stared. He knew that had to be a lie. Rita didn't even know his name. Unless he ran away the moment he was born, there was something else going on here. But he didn't call him out on it. He didn't feel like it was his place to. So he just kept quiet and let things play out.

"You ran away? And you came back after all these years… why?" Lynn asked.

"Lynn!" her father scolded.

"What? I'm just asking. Some guy who you say is our freaking _brother_ who ran away years ago shows up and I'm not supposed to be curious about why?" she countered.

Her parents glared towards her, but Lee raised his hand. "No, look, it's okay. This whole thing happened so suddenly, and it's just weird. I'm not expecting you guys to just accept it. But I just…" He ran a hand over his face. "I just wanted to stop by and see whatever family I had left, you know? But I don't want to cause any trouble so maybe I'll swing by later after things have cooled down."

"Aw, but you just got here," Leni said frowning. The blonde hadn't seemed to catch on to the gravity of the situation quite yet.

He chuckled before turning towards the door. "I'll be back. I just… got to sort some stuff out you know. I'm sure you do too. Would it be okay if I swung by tomorrow?" he asked.

Lynn looked over towards his wife, who hesitantly nodded. "That… that would be fine."

He smiled and nodded back. "Okay then. Sorry again for causing all the trouble, and I'll have the money for your bike when I come back," he said looking to Lincoln.

Lincoln spoke up. "But you don't have to-"

"Yeah I do," he said quickly cutting him off. "I broke it, I'm paying for it. Just how I do things little man. You can just consider it a gift from your uh… your new big brother. Okay?"

Lincoln stood silent for a moment, but then nodded. "Um… okay."

It felt… awkward. This whole thing. There was really no other way to put it. This morning he woke up to get ready for an Ace Savvy marathon. Now here he was talking to a man who was presumably his big brother. He wouldn't be surprised if he woke up in his bed to find this was all a dream.

"Hey! If he's getting something I want something!" Lana said stepping forward.

Her twin quickly followed suit. "Yeah, and if you really are our brother you owe about us six years of birthday presents!" Lola demanded.

Lee stared at them for a bit, surprise written on his face. Then suddenly he cracked a smirk, and began to laugh. "Yeah, I guess I do don't I? Tell you what, how about I pay for dinner tomorrow? I can bring some pizza or chicken or something. Then I'll work my way up from there," he offered.

"Pizza!? Chicken?!" Lana cheered.

Lola hummed. "Hmm, it's a start I guess."

Lynn Sr. looked concerned. "Oh, are you sure? We go through food pretty fast and we have a lot of mouths to feed. I wouldn't want you draining your wallet when you just got here."

"I came in and caused a whole bunch of drama for you guys. Paying for dinner is the least I could do," he said opening the door. Before he could make his way out however, Rita walked forward and grabbed him by the wrist.

He looked back over his shoulder at the woman, who once again had an unreadable expression on her face. "I… I'm just…" She looked around, trying to find the right words to say. Eventually she just sighed and stepped forward, pulling him into a hug. "I'm glad you're doing well."

The way Lee flinched at her touch didn't go unnoticed by the Loud siblings. Neither did the way their mother trembled slightly as she hugged him. He slowly reached up and returned the gesture. "I uh… I'm glad you're okay too."

Everyone watched the two simply stand in each other's arm for a moment, then slowly break apart. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," he said walking out the door.

Rita nodded, and Lincoln offered a small wave. "Don't forget my birthday gifts!" Lola shouted.

"Don't forget the pizza!" Lana followed up.

Lee laughed again before giving a wave as he walked out. Rita watched as he got into his car and gave the house one last look before driving off. She sighed and then closed the door, then turned towards her children whose gazes were all locked on her.

"So… I'm not the only one whose got questions right?" Lucy asked.

* * *

 **A/N: So, there's the second chapter! So we have a reveal that Lee is indeed a member of the family, but that was never really in question. There still are a lot of details left in the wind about just what his relationship is and why Rita and Lynn seem to secretive about it. Feel free to keep on guessing about it though. I hope the pacing of this story doesn't feel to slow. I'm trying to be more careful about how I plot out the story this time around.  
**

 **There was some concern about the white hair thing since someone brought up that it's (obviously) not a normal hair color and Lincoln didn't inherit it from Albert. Well I looked into it and while it isn't quite confirmed, there's no real evicdence saying it isn't his natural hair color either. It is confirmed however that it is NOT albinism. Either way, within the continuity of his story it'll just be from his grandfather. That just makes things easier.**


End file.
